TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Students at the FAMU/FSU College of Engineering will work with the State of Florida and FEMA specialists on projects involved in the recovery of the Panhandle from Hurricane Michael.
Students with majors in mechanical, electrical and civil engineering, as well other specialties, will help with the development of a damage assessment report and two recovery advisories produced by the FEMA Mitigation Assessment Team (MAT).
The advisories will address rebuilding decisions in the aftermath of Hurricane Michael, as well as any future flooding or high wind events. The guidance can help homeowners, designers, building owners, local officials, architects, engineers and contractors.
“The College of Engineering is a wonderful source of expertise for the recovery operation,” said FEMA Federal Coordinating Officer Thomas J. McCool. “We are hiring local residents in the Panhandle to join the recovery effort and we are excited about tapping into the engineering expertise at the college.”
“We are very glad that our talented students will help in recovery and preparation for future hurricane impacts in the Panhandle region,” said Dean of the FAMU/FSU College of Engineering J. Murray Gibson. “Not only will they be able to use their engineering knowledge to address urgent challenges, but many of them also have homes in hurricane-prone regions and can give back to their communities. We are delighted that FEMA and the State of Florida are giving our students this opportunity.”
FEMA’s Integrated Recovery Coordination team and Hazard Mitigation Program are working with state officials and college administrators to identify potential projects for student participation.
###
EDITOR’S NOTE: FEMA will share links to the recovery advisories once they are finalized and published.
FEMA’s mission: Helping people before, during, and after disasters.
For a list of resources available to individuals and businesses affected by Hurricane Michael, visit www.floridadisaster.org/info.
For more Hurricane Michael recovery information, visit www.fema.gov/disaster/4399.
Follow FEMA and the Florida Division of Emergency Management on Twitter at @FEMARegion4 and @FLSERT. You may also visit FEMA and the Division’s Facebook pages at Facebook.com/FEMA and Facebook.com/FloridaSERT.